Welcome to the web site of the Smith College Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB upholds the principles of the Belmont Report and established guidelines for assuring that human research participants are treated with dignity, respect, and with due regard for their welfare. We are committed to safeguarding and upholding the rights and welfare of all people who volunteer to participate in research.

»

If you are uncertain as to whether your research requires IRB approval, please see the Who Needs to Apply page.

»

If you need to apply for IRB approval for your research project, please follow the steps on the Application Process page, which includes new information about the application process and required training.If you are a member of the School for Social Work (SSW), please see the SSW web site for specific instructions .

»

All IRB applications must be submitted on the most current version of the forms. Current versions of all IRB Forms and Templates can be found on the Forms page.

»

The IRB membership and schedule of monthly meetings for this semester can be found on the members and schedule page.

IRB approval is required before data collection can begin. To avoid delays in starting your research, you should plan to submit your proposal as early in the semester as possible. Because the IRB may not be available over the summer and during holidays, proposals should be submitted well in advance for projects to be carried out during these times or during the first few weeks of either semester.

Please note that the IRB cannot approve a proposal submitted after research is initiated, nor can the IRB sanction any human subjects data collected without approval.